When a loved one passes away the responsibility of dealing with their estate often falls upon a member of the family or a close acquaintance who acts as their Personal Representative.
A Personal Representative is most commonly known as an Executor who is appointed by the deceased’s Will or, if there is no Will, acts as the deceased’s Administrator where the estate is distributed by the Rules of Intestacy instead, although both appointments are most commonly and simply known as ‘Executors’.
This can be an extremely difficult task for any person to conduct, especially at a time of grief, and requires an application to the Probate Registry, completion of the appropriate tax account to HMRC and paying any Inheritance Tax that may be due.
To be able to act on behalf of the deceased’s estate, access the deceased’s bank accounts, sell property and distribute assets to beneficiaries the Executor must have the legal authority to do so – this is known as obtaining a Grant of Probate (where there is a Will) or a Grant of Administration of Letters (if there is no Will), although both of these are most commonly and simply known as obtaining ‘Probate’.
Probate requires the Executor to fulfil many important legal and financial duties, which can be very onerous, and this is why it helps to have professional advice and support, which is what we can provide. We are able to act for non-contentious probate cases, i.e. where no disputes arise.
How we can help
Probate is the process of obtaining the legal right to distribute property, money and possessions of a deceased person’s estate to those entitled to it by the terms of their will or rules of intestacy (where there is no will). Probate can be complicated and take a great deal of time.
When a loved one dies the last thing you may want to have to deal with is sorting through their financial affairs and it can be incredibly stressful dealing with HMRC and the Court. This is where The Surrey Probate Practice is here to help you through this process.
Our service is tailored to best fit your requirements. We can provide you with as much or as little help as you need, whether it be taking care of all the estate administration for you from start to finish, completing all the necessary paperwork and liaising with the various institutions that need to be contacted, or assisting you with obtaining the Grant of Probate leaving you to administer the estate yourself once this has been obtained.
We can provide you with a quote once we know more about the deceased’s estate and what work is involved. To give you an idea of our fees and the services on offer, the following should be reviewed as a guide, although the fee will be based on the circumstances of each matter.
Our experienced team can help you with obtaining Probate in the following ways:
Non-contentious estate administration and tax compliance
As an Executor, you will be required to draw up an accurate schedule of the assets and liabilities concerning the deceased’s estate, including the preparation of the appropriate Inheritance Tax return to HM Revenue & Customs.
This can be complex and so we can assist you with calculating the Inheritance Tax due and help with making necessary payments to HMRC.
Working closely with you, we can help with the collection of estate monies and assets, including distribution to beneficiaries and prepare the final estate accounts.
Our experienced team can also send notifications of death to the relevant financial institutions to obtain the necessary information and to advise where to transfer any funds once probate has been granted.
We are here to provide you with as much help as you need.
Other ways we can help
Why use our services?
We know that dealing with the estate of a family member or close acquaintance can be emotional and stressful.
We ensure that all the tasks necessary to complete the probate process are handled sympathetically and straightforwardly.
Our knowledge of trusts, tax and estate planning means we can provide a holistic service, which ensures that the wishes of the deceased are met while minimising any liabilities for beneficiaries.
To find out more about our probate services, our experienced team and their expertise, why not download our helpful probate guide.
Testimonials
“From beginning to end all staff, in particular Wendy, Debbie and Holly have been friendly and welcoming, exhibiting a professional and prompt service which was very reassuring at a difficult time. Legal advice was clear and succinctly provided as we were guided through the process and requirements. Thank you. I would have no hesitation in recommending [The] Surrey Probate Practice. “
Estate of the late Mrs W
“Debbie Copeland was very professional & a pleasure to deal with. She was on top of our case at all times, providing us with solid advice & acting quickly to process our application for probate. Debbie, as well as the rest of the team in Cranleigh – were courteous at all times, quick to respond when needed, to queries raised and fully kept us informed of ongoing changes and where we were with the process. I would fully recommend the company to anyone needing probate & would like to thank Debbie and the rest of the team, for such a smooth and quick turn around. Well done!”
Estate of the late Mr S
“I would like to pass on my full appreciation and respect to Debbie Copeland and Wendy Amos for leading us through Probate for our late mother in such a short space of time. Whilst I know you had the information at your fingertips at every step of the way, we were very grateful for the tax breaks that you brought to us… As originally explained to Wendy we had perceived a huge dark cloud, that stood over us… What we never perceived following Mums passing, is the possibility that you could find a way of shifting that dark cloud and replace it with blue sky and bright sunshine by actually reducing our Tax liabilities… My only wish was for Mum was still around to witness it! A massive thanks for all your support.”
Estate of the late Mrs C
Contact us now
Our team of highly qualified probate specialists are here to answer any questions you may have.
We deliver a compassionate service, so please arrange a free initial probate consultation by contacting our team.
Cranleigh Office – 01483 958 500
Weybridge Office – 01932 924 500
